Edward Kynaston (c. 1640 – January 1706) was an English actor, one of the last Restoration "

boy player A boy player was a male child or teenager who performed in Medieval theatre, Medieval and English Renaissance theatre, English Renaissance playing companies. Some boy players worked for adult companies and performed the female roles, since women ...

s", young male actors who played women's roles.

Career

Kynaston was good looking and made a convincing woman:

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...

called him "the loveliest lady that ever I saw in my life" after seeing him in a production of John Fletcher's '' The Loyal Subject'' at the Cockpit-in-Court, "only her voice snot very good". He also played the title role in

Ben Jonson Benjamin Jonson ( 11 June 1572 – ) was an English playwright, poet and actor. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence on English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for the satire, satirical ...

's '' Epicoene''. Pepys had dinner with Kynaston after this production on 18 August 1660. Simultaneously, Kynaston played male roles as well. He filled the role of Otto in '' Rollo Duke of Normandy'' on 6 December 1660, having played the female role of Arthiope in the same play in previous weeks. On 7 January 1661, Kynaston played three roles in a performance of Jonson's '' Epicoene'', one female and two male. Part of Kynaston's appeal may have been his ambiguous

sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...

. The actor

Colley Cibber Colley Cibber (6 November 1671 – 11 December 1757) was an English actor-manager, playwright and Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate. His colourful memoir ''An Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber'' (1740) describes his life in ...

recalled: "the Ladies of Quality prided themselves in taking him with them in their Coaches to Hyde-Park in his Theatrical Habit, after the Play." Cibber also reported that a performance of a tragedy attended by Charles II was once delayed because, as someone explained, Kynaston, who was playing the Queen, "was not shav'd". In the 1660s women were permitted to appear on stage and male actors playing female roles in serious drama was strongly discouraged. Kynaston's last female role was as Evadne in Beaumont and Fletcher's ''

The Maid's Tragedy ''The Maid's Tragedy'' is a play by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher. It was first published in 1619. The play has provoked divided responses from critics. Date The play's date of origin is not known with certainty. In 1611, Sir George B ...

'' with Thomas Killigrew's

King's Company The King's Company was one of two enterprises granted the rights to mount theatrical productions in London, after the London theatre closure 1642, London theatre closure had been lifted at the start of the English Restoration. It existed from 166 ...

in 1661. Described by

as "the prettiest woman in the whole house" and "the handsomest man", the rumour of the time had him playing female roles off stage as well. When already in his thirties, lampoons circulated that made him out to be the lover of

George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 19th Baron de Ros (30 January 1628 – 16 April 1687) was an English statesman and poet who exerted considerable political power during the reign of Charles II of England. A Royalist during the Engl ...

. Kynaston went on to make a successful career in male roles and was noted for his portrayal of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's ''Henry IV''. He retired in 1699.

Fictional portrayals

Kynaston is played by

Billy Crudup William Gaither Crudup (; born July 8, 1968) is an American actor. He was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead for his performance in '' Jesus' Son'' (1999). He went on to star in numerous high-profile films, including ...

in the 2004 film '' Stage Beauty'' directed by Sir Richard Eyre. He is represented as a foppish

bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

, who slowly reveals more complexity in his personality and sexuality. The film is an adaptation of the play ''Compleat Female Stage Beauty'' by

Jeffrey Hatcher Jeffrey Hatcher is a much-produced American playwright and screenwriter. He wrote the stage play ''Compleat Female Stage Beauty'', which he later adapted into a screenplay, shortened to just '' Stage Beauty'' (2004). He also co-wrote the stage a ...

. In 2012, the Houston Grand Opera announced a new opera by

Carlisle Floyd Carlisle Sessions Floyd (June 11, 1926September 30, 2021) was an American composer primarily known for his operas. These stage works, for which he wrote not only the music but also the librettos, typically engage with themes from the American So ...

with Kynaston as the protagonist: it premiered in March 2016.Houston Press, 18 Feb 2016, http://www.houstonpress.com/arts/hgo-premieres-prince-of-players-when-men-could-no-longer-play-women-on-stage-8171377 He also appeared as a character in '' Nell Gwynn'', played by Greg Haiste in the premiere production in 2015.

References

Mezzotint of Edward Kynaston
(PeoplePlay UK) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kynaston, Edward 1640s births 1712 deaths English male stage actors 17th-century English male actors Boy players

Career

Fictional portrayals

See also

References